Graco (baby products)

Graco is an American brand of baby products company owned by Newell Rubbermaid. It was founded in 1942 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by Russell Gray and Robert Cone (hence the name) as Graco Metal Products, a company that fabricated machine and car parts. After Gray left the company in 1953, Cone moved the company in a different direction, manufacturing the first automatic swing for children, the Swyngomatic, designed by Harold Kosoff in 1982. In 1987 the company developed the Pack N' Play Portable Playard portable playpen designed by Nate Saint. It also developed the combination stroller and child safety seat called the Travel System in the mid 90's. In 1998 it acquired the Century Car Seat company. It was acquired by Rubbermaid in 1996, which later became Newell Rubbermaid in 1999.

Most recently, Graco has been involved in a voluntary recall of several popular models of its strollers and travel systems due to fingertip amputation.[1]

On Wednesday, February 9, Graco quietly laid off 15 employees due to poor business performance. This is the most recent in a series of firings. On October 10, 2012 Graco's classic wooden high chairs were recalled due to the seat detaching.